TSA, backscatter x-ray and you

I know you sheep are getting complacent about the TSA treating you like garbage when you go to the plane station, but maybe you should be getting pissed off.

Yes, that little old lady looked dangerous.

“This is war. Those people are trying to kill us.” Bull shit. We have to search 90 year old people because if we don’t the terrorist will use 90 year old people to hijack airplanes? Then he admits there are two “suspicious” people on airplanes and they know about it. Good job guys. Totally kick ass!

The poor TSA employees are getting their feeling hurt because people treat them like shit. So we spend $35 million to help them deal with their emotions.

People have sent children through the x-ray machine? And pets? No wonder you let the TSA treat you like crap. You lack intelligence – an on-going theme here at the CLS.

“Security Theatre” is a perfect term for the farce that is TSA.

$160 million a year on “behaviour detection officers” who are looking at “micro facial expressions” to identify terrorists. Now there is a load of shit. No person ever stopped by behaviour detection officers has ever been a terrorist. In fact there has been a 60-70% failure rate of TSA when tested by government inspectors. And if the government can get bomb components through TSA what makes you think terrorists (who are much smarter than the government) aren’t going to be able to get bombs through?

Then there is the backscatter x-ray. TSA looking at your naked body. Fantastic! Okay, actually the one person we saw on the backscatter screen did not appear totally naked.

Everything we take away from passengers just means the terrorists have to find another way. All of this, along with the fear, just makes people feel safe and justifies the TSA treating you like shit.

This from EPIC:

On December 17, 2009, EPIC filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)lawsuit against the United States Department of Justice. The lawsuit arose from a July 2009 FOIA request EPIC submitted to the
United States Marshals Service (USMS), a component of the DOJ, for records of Whole Body Imaging.

Whole body imaging technology was originally introduced in 2007, when the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a component of Department of Homeland Security, began testing the imaging technology to screen travelers. These machines produced detailed, three-dimensional images of individuals’ naked bodies and are being used at airport security checkpoints, court houses, and correctional facilities.

While TSA originally provided assurances that the technology would not be mandatory for passengers and would include a privacy algorithm that blurred faces, the agency later withdrew these assurances. In April 2009, the agency announced plans to expand the mandatory use of body imaging to all U.S. Airports. This means that Whole Body Imaging devices will replace metal detectors at the primary screening devices in US airports. As a consequence, the TSA could obtain naked pictures of every airline passenger, including children, who travel from a US airport.

In response to TSA’s expansion of the program, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2200, a bill that would limit the use of whole body imaging systems at airports. The measure is still pending
in the Senate.

TSA’s website also states that the machines are being used in U.S. Federal Courts, including at least one court in Virginia. The USMS, which is responsible for coordinating “the installation of complex electronic security systems to protect federal judges, courthouse staff members and the physical court facilities,” would be in control of these Whole Body Imaging machines. In light of this, EPIC submitted a FOIA request to the USMS for documents related to the Whole Body Imaging machines, including the images that the machines capture, the contracts with the manufacturer of the machines, and information about technical specifications and training materials.

The USMS replied to EPIC’s request, stating that it had searched USMS headquarters – but not the Virginia court(s) where the machines are housed. In response, EPIC filed suit, arguing that the USMS had not performed a sufficient search and should find, and disclose, the documents.

EPIC’s Complaint:
http://epic.org/foia/DOJ_USMS_Complaint.pdf

EPIC: Whole Body Imaging:
http://epic.org/privacy/airtravel/backscatter/

TSA: Whole Body Imaging:

H.R. 2200:
http://www.epic.org/redirect/112209hr2200.html

Privacy Coalition Letter Regarding Whole Body Imaging:
http://www.epic.org/redirect/112209dhswbiletter.html

DHS Response to Privacy Coalition Letter:
http://privacycoalition.org/dhs-reply-wbi_ltr.pdf